The ground was situated on the East side of Love Lane, which ran north to south linking The Avenue with St.Mary's Street, the ground being 50 yards south of the junction of Onslow Road with Love Lane. The first known match played there was on August 23rd, 1839 when North of Hampshire opposed the South of the county. In
1842, Thomas Chamberlayne, Sir Frederick Bathurst and Sir J.B.Mill financed the development of the ground and installed Daniel Day in the adjacent Antelope Hotel and the first important match was staged there on Sept 5 and 6, 1842, when Hampshire opposed England. Five matches were played on the ground whilst it was under the supervision of Daniel Day
at it is referred to in reports as 'Day's Ground' rather than the Antelope.
1842
Hampshire 67 and 27
lost to England 99 by an Inns & 5 runs.
Hampshire 129 and
87 lost to MCC 222 by an Inns & 6 runs.
1844
MCC 143 & 45
lost to Hampshire 107 & 85 for 5 by 5 wickets.
1845
MCC 119 & 142
beat Hampshire 64 & 59 by 138 runs.
The ground was threatened by building speculation in
1845 and Daniel Day moved to Itchen and major matches in Southampton were then played on
Day's Itchen Ground. The lease of the Antelope Ground was
taken by Mr. Brooks (or Brooke) and as the building development fell through, matches by
the Gentlemen of the South Hampshire continued to be staged there. The first recorded
individual hundred was made on the ground in 1862, when
G.M.Ede hit 122 for South
Hants v East Hants. With the formation of the revived Hampshire County Cricket Club in 1863,
major cricket returned to the Antelope, the County Club renting the ground from 1864 on a
yearly basis. In 1861 James
Southerton, the Surrey cricketer was engaged at Southampton and resided at the Antelope
Ground. He remained there until 1867.
